Check out the Friday Ads

If you want to live on a budget, you should plan on buying second-hand furniture and appliances, provided they are still in good working condition. There are many ways to go about this, and this is one of them.

Our first advice would be to seek out the Friday Ads and Advantage Ads. These magazines come out weekly, on Fridays and Thursdays, respectively. They are very popular and if you are not quick, you might miss out on the issue at your favorite newsagents. However, many shops do carry them, as long as you know where to find them. The Friday Ads are more abundant. We have only found the Advantage Ads at our local grocery shop in Hartfield. Most of the ads are found in both.

These magazines offer free advertising to private customers who are selling items under a certain value, usually around 50 GBP. For items that are more expensive, there is a per word fee for listing. It appears that the magazines are paid for by advertising by companies. There is a different Friday Ad for each county, so if you live near several, you should collect one for each.

The best way to shop would be to check out the Free to Collector section in the Friday Ads. It’s unbelievable what deals you can find there. These are items listed as free as long as you collect it yourself. Although some ads are put in the wrong sections, check this section out first. Sometimes, you may find free items under other categories, so if there is a particular item you want, be sure to view those sections in their entirety for free items. You can find almost anything in the Friday Ads and they are usually very good prices because most people would like to get rid of their items at the least cost to themselves.

Things to consider when viewing the ads would be the location, price and condition. Of course, how desperately you need them may affect how you view these individual considerations. You really don’t want to have to drive a long distance just to get a dirt cheap appliance when a better one at a slightly higher price will do. However, if you can save a lot and get a better deal at a slightly further location, go for it.